have to go back to the beginning of my family's story, to its roots in nineteenth-century Shanghai. At the age of three, in 1889, my grandaunt showed her independence by refusing to have her feet bound. She pulled off the bindings each time they were put on. She finally won the argument by refusing to or drink until her feet were freed At this time, Shangliai was a port city of great importance. connecting China with the rest of the world. Britain, France and the United States of America all controlled areas of the city. Great houses were built in the style of these countries. My grandfather's family lived in the French area. My grandfather Ye Ye was the third son of the family He was a tall, gentle Buddhist who loved poems. Grand Aunt was the youngest of the five children, the baby of the family The older children had not been sent to school, although they did learn to read and write. But when Grand Aunt reached school age, the family was richer. She was sent to a fashionable and expensive American school, the first child in the Yen family who was taught by foreigners.